Villehardouin was a knight who participated in the Fourth Crusade and he wrote the "Conquest of Constantinople". This source explained in great detail the crusaders negotiation made with Venice, their inability to pay the Venetians back and the capture of Zara as told by Villehardouin. According to the source, it was apparent that the Venetian's focus was not on conquering the holy land through the service of God but primarily on their selfish need of money. Their need to benefit monetarily overcame their faith in Christianity and it was proven through their actions.
Villehardouin and five other men were sent to Venice to come to an agreement with the Venetians. The crusaders needed their help and assistance in order to conquer Jerusalem if it were God's will. The Venetians agreed to supply the crusaders with 4,500 horses, 9,000 noblemen, 4,500 knights, 20,000 foot soldiers and 50 ships but only if they agreed to pay them back in the amount of 85,000 marks of silver and only if the Venetians received half of any money or land conquered along the way. The crusaders agreed to this arrangement and the Venetians decided that they would first conquer Babylon. Messengers were sent from Babylon to Venice in 1199 A.D. with plenty of riches and valuable resources in order to divert the Venetians, as told by Villehardouin.
The Venetians demanded pay from the crusaders for their supplies and they came up with some money but 36,000 remained due. The Venetians negotiated that if the crusaders paid them their remaining balance after their first conquest then they would cross the sea. The crusaders had no other choice but to agree. The city of Zara was suggested as their first conquest and the Doge of Venice made this suggestion because they had been nothing but evil to them and he wanted them to be punished and also because they were very wealthy and well supplied. People from Zara came to speak to the Doge in November of 1202 and told him that they would surrender the city to them including all of their property as long as their lives were refrained from injury or death. Their plan was diverted when a few people who wanted to break up the army spoke to those of Zara and told them that the crusaders were harmless. The people of Zara's plan to surrender was now given up. The crusaders and Venetians still planned to conquer the city of Zara and when they did the people of Zara surrendered leaving no one hurt or killed. The supplies and riches were divided in two parts, one for the crusaders and one for the Venetians.
The crusaders and Venetians faith in Christianity and God was only mentioned when they talked about their fight. "And we will observe all these conditions which we explain to you, for one year, beginning the day we leave the harbor of Venice to fight in the service of God and of Christianity, wherever we may go" (Villehardouin, pg 2). The Venetians explained to the crusaders that they would supply them with all they needed in order to have a powerful navy and this agreement began once they left Venice, but they were fighting for Christianity. It was understood that the crusader's main purpose for wanting to conquer Jerusalem was to gain the holy land and to fight in the service of God. It was difficult for them to achieve this without the assistance and supplies from the Venetians. Venice was in control considering they were the ones who supplied the crusaders with everything they needed to conquer. The crusaders might have been fighting in the service of God, but the real question was: were the Venetians? The Venetians made it obvious that they only wanted to conquer lands that were of great wealth and well supplied and they were easily persuaded by money. The Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo, suggested that they conquer Egypt and the ruler of Babylon sent messengers to Venice "he sent them to the doge and gave beautiful presents to the Venetians, and commanded the latter, if they could do so, not to go to the land of Egypt, he would give them great treasures and many privileges in the port of Alexandria" (Villehardouin, pg 3). This showed that the Venetians were easily persauded by riches and valuables, they completely overlooked the opportunity to gain the land of Babylon but instead gained more wealth. The focus of the Venetians was not on conquering the holy land through the service of God, but mostly on their selfish need of money. It was a necessity for them to benefit monetarily and that overcame their faith in Christianity and it was proven through their actions by needing their payments from the crusaders and conquering lands that were wealthy.
The "Conquest of Constantinople" as told by the knight of the fourth crusade, Villehardouin, explained the crusaders agreement with the Venetians, the crusaders inability to pay the Venetians back in full and their diversion to conquer the city of Zara. The crusaders main goal was to conquer Jerusalem in order to gain the holy land and the Venetians made it obvious that their main goal was to gain more riches.
Author: Keeana Speenburgh
Reference Villehardouin. "Medieval Sourcebook: The Fourth Crusade 1204: Collected Sources." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University, Dec. 1997. Web. Apr.- May 2016.
Villehardouin and five other men were sent to Venice to come to an agreement with the Venetians. The crusaders needed their help and assistance in order to conquer Jerusalem if it were God's will. The Venetians agreed to supply the crusaders with 4,500 horses, 9,000 noblemen, 4,500 knights, 20,000 foot soldiers and 50 ships but only if they agreed to pay them back in the amount of 85,000 marks of silver and only if the Venetians received half of any money or land conquered along the way. The crusaders agreed to this arrangement and the Venetians decided that they would first conquer Babylon. Messengers were sent from Babylon to Venice in 1199 A.D. with plenty of riches and valuable resources in order to divert the Venetians, as told by Villehardouin.
The Venetians demanded pay from the crusaders for their supplies and they came up with some money but 36,000 remained due. The Venetians negotiated that if the crusaders paid them their remaining balance after their first conquest then they would cross the sea. The crusaders had no other choice but to agree. The city of Zara was suggested as their first conquest and the Doge of Venice made this suggestion because they had been nothing but evil to them and he wanted them to be punished and also because they were very wealthy and well supplied. People from Zara came to speak to the Doge in November of 1202 and told him that they would surrender the city to them including all of their property as long as their lives were refrained from injury or death. Their plan was diverted when a few people who wanted to break up the army spoke to those of Zara and told them that the crusaders were harmless. The people of Zara's plan to surrender was now given up. The crusaders and Venetians still planned to conquer the city of Zara and when they did the people of Zara surrendered leaving no one hurt or killed. The supplies and riches were divided in two parts, one for the crusaders and one for the Venetians.
The crusaders and Venetians faith in Christianity and God was only mentioned when they talked about their fight. "And we will observe all these conditions which we explain to you, for one year, beginning the day we leave the harbor of Venice to fight in the service of God and of Christianity, wherever we may go" (Villehardouin, pg 2). The Venetians explained to the crusaders that they would supply them with all they needed in order to have a powerful navy and this agreement began once they left Venice, but they were fighting for Christianity. It was understood that the crusader's main purpose for wanting to conquer Jerusalem was to gain the holy land and to fight in the service of God. It was difficult for them to achieve this without the assistance and supplies from the Venetians. Venice was in control considering they were the ones who supplied the crusaders with everything they needed to conquer. The crusaders might have been fighting in the service of God, but the real question was: were the Venetians? The Venetians made it obvious that they only wanted to conquer lands that were of great wealth and well supplied and they were easily persuaded by money. The Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo, suggested that they conquer Egypt and the ruler of Babylon sent messengers to Venice "he sent them to the doge and gave beautiful presents to the Venetians, and commanded the latter, if they could do so, not to go to the land of Egypt, he would give them great treasures and many privileges in the port of Alexandria" (Villehardouin, pg 3). This showed that the Venetians were easily persauded by riches and valuables, they completely overlooked the opportunity to gain the land of Babylon but instead gained more wealth. The focus of the Venetians was not on conquering the holy land through the service of God, but mostly on their selfish need of money. It was a necessity for them to benefit monetarily and that overcame their faith in Christianity and it was proven through their actions by needing their payments from the crusaders and conquering lands that were wealthy.
The "Conquest of Constantinople" as told by the knight of the fourth crusade, Villehardouin, explained the crusaders agreement with the Venetians, the crusaders inability to pay the Venetians back in full and their diversion to conquer the city of Zara. The crusaders main goal was to conquer Jerusalem in order to gain the holy land and the Venetians made it obvious that their main goal was to gain more riches.
Author:
Keeana Speenburgh
Reference
Villehardouin. "Medieval Sourcebook: The Fourth Crusade 1204: Collected Sources." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University, Dec. 1997. Web. Apr.- May 2016.